Sliding wedge-type removable guide needle

ABSTRACT

A hollow guide needle for piercing a body portion to position therein a flexible catheter for withdrawing or introducing fluids relative to the body portion, and which includes a hollow tube longitudinally slotted to provide frangible connecting webs between slots, and a wedge member slidably mounted on the tube and guided in the slots for forced longitudinal movement along the tube for severing the frangible webs to separate the tube into discrete sections which may then be completely removed from the body-inserted catheter.

United States Patent [72} Inventor James A. Huggins Racine, Wis. [2]] App] No 12,647 [22] Filed Feb.19,1970 [45] Patented Sept. 7,1971 [73] Assignee Illinois Tool Works inc.

Chicago, 1111.

[54] SLIDING WEDGE-TYPE REMOVABLE GUIDE NEEDLE 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. C1 128/214.4, 128/221 [51] lnLCl ..A6lm 5/00, A61m 5/14 [50] Field 011 Search 128/214, 214.2, 214.4, 221, 348, DIG. 16, 347

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,198,319 4 1940 Silverman 128/2 R 3,330,278 7/1967 Santomieri 128/214.4 3,359,978 12/1967 Smith 128/221 X 3,382,872 5/1968 Rubin 128/2144 3,550,591 12/1970 MacGregor 128/214.4 FOREIGN PATENTS 109,789 7/1968 Denmark 128/2144 628,292 10/1961 Canada 128/214.4

OTHER REFERENCES Preparations and Appliances," British Medical Journal, Feb. 23, 1952, p. 435

Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudlet Assistant Examiner-.1. C. McGowan Attarneys- Robert W. Beart, Michael Kovac, Barry L. Clark and Jack R. Halvorsen PATENTED SEP 7 I971 nn J INVIiN'IHR.

James A. Huggins His AH'ys SLIDING WEDGE-TYPE REMOVABLE GUIDE NEEDLE Until recent developments, guide needles have been retained on the body inserted catheter. This practice has often resulted in potential hazards to the patient as well as discomfort because of various more or less makeshift procedures, such as taping the needle to the patient or shielding the needle in various ways, and this has resulted in widely varied surgical procedures for nurses and others aiding the attending physiclan.

According to the present invention, there is provided a detachable guide needle which may be completely removed from the catheter tube after initial piercing of the body portion and placement of the catheter tube therein, and, as such, this invention constitutes an improvement over the detachable guide needle arrangements shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,359,978.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved detachable guide needle for use with a flexible catheter tube to be inserted in a body portion, such as a vein, and which guide needle may be withdrawn from the body portion along the inserted catheter tube and separated into sections for complete removal from the catheter.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved detachable guide needle of the above type wherein the guide needle may be separated into readily removable sections by means of a wedge member mounted for longitudinal movement along the length thereof for this purpose.

The invention also aims to provide a detachable guide needle substantially of the above type which is of relatively simple and compact construction adapted for mass production of its components and rapid association with one another into the final guide needle assembly.

In attaining the above and other objects of the invention, the guide needle includes a hollow tube with a sharpened end configuration and handle means at the opposite end thereof including a radially projecting portion fixed to the tube and a circumferentially spaced radially projecting wedge portion configured to slide along the tube clearing an inserted catheter within the tube which is longitudinally slotted with frangible connecting webs between adjacent slots to be severed by movement of the wedge portion along the tube for dividing the tube into sections which may be readily removed from the body inserted catheter.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the guide needle assembly;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective of the wedge member prior to initial association with the tube;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the wedge member assembled to the tube; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 1 but showing the arrowed directional movement of the wedge member along the tube for dividing the same into removable sections.

With reference to FIG. I of the accompanying drawing, the guide needle is shown as including an elongate tubular portion having a sharpened piercing end 12 in the form of an inclined plane needle point. The hollow tube 10 receives a flexible catheter tube 14 extending therethrough with the free end thereof bias cut as at 16, to complement the inclination of the needle point 12. The handle means at the end of the tube remote from the needle point includes a radially extending depending portion 18 which is fixed to the exterior surface of the end of the tube and an oppositely extending wedge member which is mounted onthe tube for sliding movement therealong as will be described below.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the handle portion 18 may be brazed or otherwise suitably secured to the tube 10 which may be formed of stainless steel having a thickness, for example, of 0.006 inches such that it has the characteristics of a rigid but extremely thin noncorrosive sanitary needle for use in puncturing tissues, muscles, veins, etc., of the human body. The handle portion 18 may include an angled flange 19 suitably shaped for hand grip comfort. The wedge member 20 may also include an angled flange 21 for hand grip comfort.

This wedge member also includes an outwardly arcuate portion 22 as a continuation of the portion 20 and a depending guide flange 24, both for mounting the same on the tube 10 as explained below.

As more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tube 10 is provided with a plurality of slots 26 extending longitudinally in alignment along the upper length thereof and including a distal end slot 26a opening to the rear of the guide needle. Each slot is separated from an adjacent slot by frangible connecting webs 28 which may be additionally scored for increased weakness as at 27. Theforward slot 26b is closed at its forward end by a web 28b at the rear edge of the tapered needle point 12. As illustrated, the arcuate portion 22 of the wedge member 20 is in the form of a semicircle but the arcuate extent thereof may be greater or less as desired to variously position the flange 24 depending upon the arcuate extend thereof. The arcuate portion 22 is mounted within the tube 10 as a snug fit (see-FIG. 3). The tube is provided with additional slot means 30 positioned for alignment with the flange 24 which fits therein as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, the wedge member 20 is initially positioned with the arcuate portion 22 thereof snugly engaging the adjacent inner surface of the tube 10 in position clearing the included catheter. For guiding purposes, the flange portion 24 projects through the slot means 30, as does the lower edge 20a of the wedge project initially through the slot 260 with the leading edge thereof adjacent the frangible web 28a.

In the above described assembled position of the guide needle parts, as shown in FIG. 3, the guide needle is manipulated to insert the pointed end 12 thereof into the selected body portion, such as a muscle, tissue, or vein, and with the included catheter tube 14 so located, the guide needle may be withdrawn from the body portion along the catheter tube. The attendant then grasps the depending fixed handle portion 18 in one hand and with the other hand grasping the upstanding handle portion 20, this latter portion may be moved along the tube 10, as shown in FIG. 4. In so moving, the leading and lower edge 20a of the handle or wedge portion 20 will sever successive webs 28, beginning with the web 28a and ending with the web 28b. The wedge memberis guided in this straight line movement by the flange 24 traveling in the tube slot means 30 and by the lower portion 20a of the wedge traveling along successive slots as the webs are severed. The arcuate portion 22 of the wedge member travels along the included catheter clearing the adjacent external. surface thereof without disturbing the same. As to the slot means 30, this may be interrupted by webs similar to webs 38 or it maybe a continuous slot up to the point of the needle edge 12 in which that remaining portion 32 will be severed by the leading edge of the depending flange 24, thus separating the tube into discrete sections which can be completely removed from the body inserted catheter with which the assembled tube was initially associated. It is also contemplated that the web 28b at the needle point 12 may be eliminated so that the point is somewhat U- shaped in order not to cut a slug from a vein, for example. And in a further alternative, the remaining portion 32 at the end of the lower slot means 30 may be elongated rearwardly and without severing thereof, in which case, it is a simple matter for the attendant to merely spread the tube sections, connected only at this area, for completely removing the guide needle from the inserted catheter tube.

I claim:

1. A detachable hollow guide needle assembly for insertion into a body portion and locating a flexible catheter in the body portion for withdrawing or introducing fluids relative thereto; and comprising an elongate tubular member for receiving a flexible catheter therein and having a sharpened end configuration for body insertion to locate the catheter, said tubular member having a row of longitudinally aligned slots along the length thereof with adjacent slots separated by frangible webs, and handle means including a slidingwedge member initially mounted in a slot remote from the sharpened end of the tubular member in adjacency to a first said frangible web and shaped complementally to a portion of the tubular member surface to be guided thereby when forced longitudinally along the tubular member to successively sever the frangible webs leaving sections of the'tubular member readily removable after use from the body-inserted catheter.

2. A detachable hollow guide needle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handle means further includes a radially projecting member fixed to the tubular member remote the sharpened end thereof for grasping by an attendant.

3. A detachable hollow guide needle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wedge member includes an arcuate portion snugly engaging the adjacent surface of the tubular member for guidance thereof.

4. A detachable hollow guide needle as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the arcuate portion terminates in a radial flange por tion fitting within additional slot means along the tubular member for further guidance of the wedge member when moved therealong.

5. A detachable hollow guide needle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wedge member includes an arcuate portion fitting within the tubular member for guidance thereof while clearing an included catheter tube.

6. A detachable hollow guide needle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the areuate portion terminates in a radial outwardly projecting flange portion fitting within additional slot means along the length of the tubular member for further guidance of the wedge member when moved therealong. 

1. A detachable hollow guide needle assembly for insertion into a body portion and locating a flexible catheter in the body portion for withdrawing or introducing fluids relative thereto; and comprising an elongate tubular member for receiving a flexible catheter therein and having a sharpened end configuration for body insertion to locate the catheter, said tubular member having a row of longitudinally aligned slots along the length thereof with adjacent slots separated by frangible webs, and handle means including a sliding wedge member initially mounted in a slot remote from the sharpened end of the tubular member in adjacency to a first said frangible web and shaped complementally to a portion of the tubular member surface to be guided thereby when forced longitudinally along the tubular member to successively sever the frangible webs leaving sections of the tubular member readily removable after use from the bodyinserted catheter.
 2. A detachable hollow guide needle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handle means further includes a radially projecting member fixed to the tubular member remote the sharpened end thereof for grasping by an attendant.
 3. A detachable hollow guide needle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wedge member includes an arcuate portion snugly engaging the adjacent surface of the tubular member for guidance thereof.
 4. A detachable hollow guide needle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the arcuate portion terminates in a radial flange portion fitting within additional slot means along the tubular member for further guidance of the wedge member when moved therealong.
 5. A detachable hollow guide needle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wedge member includes an arcuate portion fitting within the tubular member for guidance thereof while clearing an included catheter tube.
 6. A detachable hollow guide needle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the arcuate portion terminates in a radial outwardly projecting flange portion fitting within additional slot means along the length of the tubular member for further guidance of the wedge member when moved therealong. 